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Sheer class by Coppinger
A BOWLING performance of sheer class earned Martin Coppinger his first All-Ireland senior crown at Sally’s Cross, Kanturk on Sunday afternoon last.
Utilising the full range of his abilities, the Bantry native delivered in style, shaking off the determined challenge of Ulster champion Eddie Carr with a display of power and accuracy that surpassed his Munster final winning effort of a fortnight ago. Coppinger had the mantle of favouritism thrust on his shoulders from the outset with odds of two to one and the bowl winning margin freely given but showed resolve in staying with the Armagh man in the crucial opening phase.
Carr tracked a brilliant opening shot that Coppinger did well to come within ten meters of and they followed with equally good second attempts past the ‘magpie house’ that left the Ulster champion just a metre in front. Coppinger’s first lead came after a bullet like third and he pushed on to a hundred metre advantage when Carr’s fourth went left.
The Bantry native had a stroke of luck with his sixth when his attempt, played left of the green, brushed kindly to run a huge distance. That seemed sure to rise the bowl of odds but a defiant Carr whipped a marvellous seventh that beat that formidable mark by ninety metres, putting the pressure back on the Munster champion.
Coppinger’s response defined his day. A superb seventh maintained a big lead although Carr tried hard again with a cracking eighth past ‘Pulleen passage’. Coppinger eventually rose the bowl of odds with his own eighth shot to the ‘cualeen’ and he followed that with a brilliant ninth to the ‘green door’. That brace finally broke Carr’s challenge and there was no stopping the West Cork man at this point. Coppinger’s tenth was another masterful delivery, shot with power and precision up the rise towards the ‘cornfield bend’ and, although his eleventh was a shade tight on the right, his lead now bordered on the two bowls of odds.
Carr conceded with a few shots left. Coppinger’s triumphant season ends on a perfect note and the joyous scenes at the end bore testimony to the popularity of a player who has also suffered his share of the downsides of the game.
It was a wonderful weekend’s bowling in the picturesque Duhallow capital. The seven finals played had drama and disappointment, triumph and anguish in equal measure. Although Saturday’s four finals were played under cloud and intermittent rain, the deluge of the underage finals twelve months ago did not materialise. Sunday’s conditions were ideal as was the start given to home support by U18 champion Raymond Ryan.
Brilliant first and third shots set him on his way to a comprehensive two bowl victory over a game northern champion, Michael O’Neill. It was a composed and fluid performance by one of bowling’s brightest new stars. He rose a bowl of odds with a smashing sixth past ‘Gardiner’s pool’ and had almost two bowls of odds after seven. O’Neill fought well and reduced the lead with good shots around Sally’s Cross but there was no denying the Bandon youth, who won at the end by two full shots.
The most galling defeat of the weekend was suffered by intermediate champion Rose Twohig of Banteer. Playing down the road on Sunday against Ulster champion Elaine McGrady, Twohig was a bowl to the good after McGrady’s fourth went wildly left. It was close to level after a mistake at the ‘cornfield’ by the Munster champion but she extended her advantage again with good bowling past ‘Sally’s Cross’. McGrady bravely kept in touch and whittled down the lead to ten metres for the last shots. In a sensational finish the Ulster champion snatched victory with her only fore bowl of the contest, edging those crucial last exchanges by twenty metres.
John O’Sullivan never produced his Munster championship form in his quest for the boys’ U16 title. Ethan Rafferty, a scion of the famous Toal bowling family, threw an assured score, the opening tie on Saturday morning, rising a bowl of odds after five. Although O’Sullivan knocked it with a good ninth, Rafferty rose the shot again at the ‘Creighleen’ and won comfortably.
Lisa Hegarty, Lyre, still not fourteen, kept a great tradition going with a marvellous girls’ U16 victory over a very competitive Sinead Cullen down the road on Saturday. It wasn’t going too well in the early stages, particularly after her third broke right, but the South West champion found her groove, lining brilliant fourth and fifth shots that rose substantial odds. Cullen tried hard but Hegarty, throwing with renewed speed, went a bowl up at the half-way point and doubled her margin soon afterwards. The imposing Monsignor Raymond Murray Cup was hers after a terrific display. It was as good as it got for the Munster champion on that rain spattered day.
Seamus McKee was an impressive performer in the junior B title decider back up the road. He was the favourite in the €2,100 stake against Munster champion, Billy Dalton. Dalton’s opening shot left him with a mountain to climb as he took a right hand play that did not work. McKee lined a brilliant second to ‘O’Brien’s house’ that brought him a bowl of odds up and he was two to the good after eight. Dalton knocked it briefly but McKee’s nine to ‘Sally’s cross’ represented excellent bowling. The margin in favour of the Ulster champion stretched out to three bowls before scores end.
The veterans (over 50) final was a gripping affair. Mick Young was a hot favourite against Pat Mallon but was immediately on the back foot after the Ulster champion lined a massive opening shot. A fifty metres gap stretched to eighty after two and Mallon’s huge fourth was instrumental in his going a full bowl up after seven. Young knocked the bowl with a brilliant ninth but Mallon rose it again after the Drinagh native left his attempt at ‘Sally’s Cross’ into the left.
The late drama was about to unfold as Young forced his was way back and the odds tightened at the ‘garage’. Mallon then missed the finish line when it looked very beatable and suddenly Young was there for a last shot, albeit sixty metres adrift. The Muster champion drove a fine last effort but, doughty campaigner that he is, Mallon beat a testing last tip, enjoying his share of luck as he did so. It was his third veteran All-Ireland title.
Late on Sunday evening, the curtain came down on North Cork’s two year cycle of hosting the All-Ireland series. The championships move to the City division in 2011. Players and supporters north and south leave with great memories of superbly organised events. Stewards, marshals, parking attendants, referees, Willie Murphy, Billy O’Sullivan, Maurice Sheehan, John Joe Savage, Andy O’Callaghan, Olan Sexton and Jerry Long all contributed to a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.
Millstreet music group and Boherbue set dancers, Scór na nÓg winners in 2010, provided marvellous interval entertainment. The huge crowds that attended and the spirited exchanges on the bowling road made for a wonderful sporting spectacle that will be long remembered